Hailing from Los Angeles by way of European origins, Mechanik War III touts a blistering combination of extreme metal and electrified industrial. To listen to the nine tracks on the band’s self-titled demo and to see the imagery contained in the CD, the influence of such bands as Dimmu Borgir and Behemoth are readily apparent, though the mechanical precision and synthetic atmospheres presented are more likely to bring to mind the likes of Ministry or White Zombie. Sound enticing? It should be, and there is much fun to be had when listening to this album, a veritable roller coaster ride of industrialized metal that will surely have many head banging on the dance floor. However, like all roller coasters, the thrill is fleeting and temporary, coupled with a sense of sameness – you’ve been on one roller coaster, you’ve essentially been on all of them. The twists and turns are different, but the experience is the same. Such is the case with Mechanik War III’s sound, especially on a song like “Chainsaw” with its almost comedic slasher movie samples and danceable beats offset by speedy guitar riffs and band leader Massaker’s throaty growl; it’s right out of the Rob Zombie playbook, while the spastic organs and demonic chanting of “Evil in Disguise” are almost laughable in their melodrama evoking the best of the Scandinavian metal scene of two decades ago. Of course, songs like “Massacre Evolution” or “Crucified Scarecrow” hook the listener with some macabre introductory atmospheres that give way to bludgeoning riffs complemented by steely synths that at times bear a symphonic quality befitting an epic video game, while the verses in “Haunted” revert to gothic morbidity, complete with melodic baritone vocals, resonant church bells, and chiming guitars creating a decidedly spooky ambience. For a demo, credit should go to Massaker and the band for having a rich production sound that emphasizes the organic metal without losing the synthesized edge. Those with a taste for the darker, harsher aspects of industrial and metal will surely enjoy the sound and image of Mechanik War III, though there is little to distinguish them from others of their ilk, making for an enjoyably banal nine tracks that will be easy to forget as soon as they’ve expired the album’s runtime.

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